


monsters

by terrible_lizard



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Weddings, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25113394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terrible_lizard/pseuds/terrible_lizard
Summary: When Foxes reunite for the long-awaited Nicky's wedding, Andrew gets haunted by his past.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	monsters

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a native English speaker, so please let me know if you find any mistakes! (but please don't be too harsh, this is my first time writing something in this language and I don't want it to be my last ;-;)  
> I tried to stay within the original afterstory lore from Nora’s blog, but some sacrifices were made for the story's sake.

Andrew broke in before anyone could say a word - he could barely hear some bullshit that fucking agent was blabbering about, but he felt the cold steel on his wrist - a handcuff, pulling him back. He couldn’t give two shits about neither of these facts.

Somebody said something - all drowned in white noise - and his wrist was apparently free. He came closer to Neil - a sack full of bandages and patches - looking at every exposed bruise and burnmark. 

The redhead let him examine his face, then moved a little to put back against the wall, like he couldn’t bear the weight of words he was about to say and his own at the same time. He looked at Wymack, Abby and team, ignoring Andrew, and started talking with a hasteless and calm voice that didn’t suit him at all.

Yes, what Kevin said about his family is true. He thought he’ll never get out of the basement alive, but he managed to kill Nathan when mercenaries broke in. It was clearly an act of self-defence, so he won’t be charged if he’d agree to cooperate. Which he already did.

No, he’s not coming back to Palmetto State.

No, he will never play Exy again, and no, he will never be Neil Josten again. Witness protection program means no contacts whatsoever, and of course there’s no way he could be all over the sport news again.

And he was so very sorry - the voice cracked, and Nathaniel stopped for a moment to regain control - but this is the end, he cannot do it anymore and cannot hurt them again anymore and oh god he is sorry and he could never make up for what danger he’d put their lives into.

Foxes raised their voices in protest, but Wymack waved them to shut the fuck up.

Nathaniel finally looked up into Andrew’s face. All Minyard could see were two dead and pained eyes of a man broken beyond repair. Neil was gone forever and never coming back. Nathaniel didn’t need his protection anymore and there wasn’t anything Andrew could do for him.

“I’m sorry, Andrew. You were… you _are_ really amazing”

Foxes started shouting, Dan darted from Matt’s arms, but Nathaniel didn’t hear any of that. He turned his back on Andrew and his Foxes, nodded to agent Browning and left the room.

Andrew knew he could physically stop him, but feds weren’t the reason he didn’t even try. It was all pointless, and dumb, and honestly fuck that shit, what was he hoping for anyway?

He tilted his head a little and burst out laughing.

***

Chill went down his spine, but something hot was forming under his closed eyes. And then Andrew woke up - just to remember they’re both on a plane. Window is closed, but they should be en route to Stuttgart, with invitations to Nicky’s wedding packed somewhere in their luggage. Everything is fine. Fine?

He looked at Neil’s face just to make sure that the scars were still there, that this is _his_ Neil. Although Josten let Matt’s father remove burn marks from his left cheek since it could get him lose sight, he didn’t want to cover or hide what Lola did with her knife. Seeing familiar old scars calmed him down a little. 

Neil caught his intense glace and put headphones down.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, sure”, said Andrew, already looking as bored as always.

Neil stared at him for a few long moments trying to see in his face whether the fear of heights returned or not. He failed miserably to read through Andrew’s mask and put his Marshalls back on with a small sigh. 

Andrew snorted when Neil’s fingers intertwined with his own, but gripped them tighter in return.

***

Nicky was the one meeting them at the airport - tanned even more than the last time cousins saw each other in person, grinning happily, but at the same time looking like he couldn’t remember what a proper night sleep was anymore. It was almost surprising that the wedding he was planning for so long still took so much energy to manage.

They had a dinner at the local restaurant (seems like Nicky knew every waiter, and Andrew couldn’t decide whether Erik should be worried or not) and spent some more time with ice tea and beer casually chatting. They were facetiming often which made Neil and cousins pretty caught up on everything important and not - from Nicky’s last trip to Greece to a new cat Neil brought home the month before. Despite Andrew’s promises to search for Renee’s knives if there will ever be another furry ball in their house, Sir Purrington was still breathing perfectly fine - never missing opportunity to use Andrew’s clothes as a pillow.

It didn’t feel right for Neil to stay at Erik and Nicky’s before such a big and stressful day (despite Nicky saying otherwise) so they decided to spend the night at the hotel. Andrew almost called an Uber, but went for a local car sharing app instead.

Luckily there was a car nearby, and they got into SUV. This wasn’t one of Andrew’s stupidly expensive cars, but still did a pretty good job for a small ride around the town they both needed after exhausting transatlantic flight.

***

They woke up pretty late, thanks to jet lag. For Court players different time zones weren’t something new, but even for them 6 hours was a little too much. After breakfast Neil opened suitcase to get their stuff. Suddenly he froze up, hand on packed suits. 

“Well, that’s something new”, he said. Andrew raised eyebrow in silent question, and Neil explained: “I mean, travelling with something bigger than a bag. Something you couldn’t run quickly enough with. I never thought I could afford such a luxury”

“You’re not running anywhere from me”, - Andrew frowned. “But I surely will leave you here if you don’t hurry. You see, my emotional gay cousin’s heart will be broken if I won’t show up in time. And I’d prefer not getting charged for murder this week”

“As empathic as always”, Neil replied, but Andrew caught a little smile on his face.

***

Even Andrew could admit the venue was gorgeous. He heard Allison helped guys to add some nice details, but almost everything from chairs to little hanged pots with plants Nicky meticulously chose himself. His taste only improved with years: silver and white venue with green accents - Erik’s favourite colour - was the best proof.

The whole old team was there, too.

It was technically the first time Andrew and Neil got together with all other Foxes since graduation. Not everyone could make it to Dan and Matt’s wedding, while Allison and Arwen decided to keep things private and didn’t invite anyone (their honeymoon was still epic and went all over social media). They didn’t have any reason to see each other, and some of them (being Neil and Aaron) were absolutely fine that way. And here they are: even Renee managed to make it - she was right between her programs in Peace Corps.

It felt comforting right and almost physically wrong at the same. Andrew could see the same painful realisation that showed on Neil’s face for a brief moment before he came to say hi to old friends.

There was a lot of German yet none of it was used to talk in private. For good, and bad, and ugly Foxes were not a closed system anymore: each of them had plenty of important stuff to tell, none of which was a secret and consisted exactly of work, their teams' results and kids. One stupid thing went in Andrew’s left ear and out the right just to be followed by another. It was nice seeing Aaron again, but twins kept their distance - like they’ve had an unspoken rule to observe without getting too close.

They didn’t get that many time for their chit-chatting — the whole thing started, with officiant inviting everybody to the ceremony place outside.

Both grooms wore white tailored suits. Erik went down the aisle first, accompanied by his father. And then there was Nicky — visibly nervous, almost stupidly happy and already sobbing. He would probably fail to walk straight if there wasn't Noah, Erik’s older brother, leading him by the arm.

Both said their vows, and then finally -

“By the power vested in me, I pronounce you as a newly married couple! You may kiss each other”

Banquet, music and infinite bottles of champagne filled the rest of the day.

Neil joined the old team on the dance floor, while Andrew dismissed invitation and headed toward the bar. He drowned a couple glasses of whiskey, glancing at guests (and maybe staring at Neil just a moment too long). Suddenly, he was joined by no other than Renee - she looked very comfortable at the bar with her glass of soda.

She preferred to cut her hair short now, and didn’t colour them anymore. Somehow that made her look even younger - you’d never expect it from a woman who spent last years in Africa teaching kids.

“You missed this, didn’t you?” - said Andrew, accepting his new drink from bartender.

“Do you mean being not in a third world country, or seeing your beautiful faces again?” - she asked with a calm smile. “Actually, it would be yes in both cases. Sometimes I miss our days at school so much it hurts, but even though I don’t have you guys anymore, I think I’m in much healthier place now. Not literally, of course”, - she laughed, - “But I’ve come a long way since we first met, and I’m grateful for being where I am now. What about you?”

“Awfully good? Like, I’m almost living American fucking dream. I play for Court and got a house, one too many cars, two dumb cats and even more dumb of a boyfriend. And ever Aaron calls me sometimes - what a hella fairytale is it? It just feels wrong - like I control shit in my life”

“And you want to mess it up sometimes?”

“If every other day counts as sometimes, then sure”

“Then it’s a faith, too”, - she covered his hand with her own, like mother explaining her kid it’s okay to screw up sometimes. “But instead of God you have something else to keep you going”

“Don’t remember joining a cult” - he freed his hand and finished his drink with one long draught.

“I mean your two dumb cats, and your dumb boyfriend, and your twin brother calling you now and then”, she smiled. “And you won’t get away from me until you show me your cats’ pictures, mister”

They passed some time chatting and showing photos of all the events they missed in each others’ lives. Finally Andrew got drunk enough to dance and took Neil from Dan, Matt and Allison.

***

It was way past dawn when guests finally got to the hotel to get some sleep before day 2. Dan and Matt pulled Renee into their room - both got too excited to finally meet Miss Peace Corps to let her go, - while Allison went straight to her suite. Aaron was nowhere to be seen which surprised exactly no one: ex number 5 spent most of the evening with some German guests he apparently have met before. Kevin was on his way to the airport - his schedule was the most horrific way to spend a life you can imagine.

Finally Josten and Minyard were in their room - Neil laying in a bed on his face, unwilling to move or undress. Andrew sat next to the lifeless body, checking his phone and unbuttoning dress shirt at the same time. With a suppressed yawn Neil reached out and touched Andrew’s open nape, casually sliding fingers below, between his shoulder blades.

It felt like Andrew was electrified. Either alcohol, bad dream from the day before or seeing Foxes together again broke something inside, put so much fear into his brain and tension into his shoulders he thought he’d collapsed. He felt all the old boundaries and trust issues coming back together, for the longest second of his life destroying every piece of progress he’d made through all these years. Goosebumps run down his spine.

“You okay?” Neil asked, barely rising his head above pillow. Lack of answer made him finally get up and face his partner.

Andrew put his hand under Neil’s shirt, touching old scars gently with his fingertips. At this point he could easily tell apart each torture mark even with his eyes closed. This thought and the worried expression in icy blue eyes felt so comforting and so real - he finally remembered to breathe and let the lungs get some air again. 

Nothing was ever okay with these two. But they both knew they’re doing better now. Time won’t heal all of their wounds, but every game they won together, every car ride with their phones off and every cigarette they share after a nightmare brings them just a little bit closer to being alright.

“Yes or no?”


End file.
